From South End to Saus – Boston

I was really hoping to get soused at Saus after the worst exam of my life, but it turns out that they don’t serve beer. Not that it matters – the food did wonders for the symptomatic management of my post-medicine shelf PTSD. Still, if they started doling out beer that was as Belgian as their waffles, I would truly be in heaven…or Tucker Maxx hell…

If I were to go to Europe and order Poutine off the street, this is exactly what I would get. The poutine gravy is a bit too salty and the starch in the gravy was separating like day-old hot and sour soup as we ate, which made the fries a little soggy in the middle. But it’s somehow still good, and the boulder-sized chunks of cheese curd melted into the gravy, and if I had a hangover and a genie, I would wish for this.

Saus is Dutch for sauce, and it really is all about the sauce here. The Spicy Frikandel is as urgently good as its name. This surprisingly well-seasoned but not too salty sausage in a toasted bun doused in chipotle and jalapenos is one of those things that if you’re starving and need a classic meat-and-bread meal, you’d say something like “GET ME A FREAKING-DEL!” We were told that the special is even better than the spicy despite being an acquired taste, but I just couldn’t bring myself to choose curry ketchup and mayo over chipotle…Maybe next time…

The name Saus is a harsh sound, but there’s nothing harsh about a crispy Belgian waffle drizzled with half lemon cream and half salty caramel. The salty caramel wasn’t actually salted, but who can really object to caramel?

Saus is actually quite difficult to find. It’s buried between the expansive Union Oyster House and the looming Bell in Hand Tavern so it’ll force you to look hard for your food. But you are rewarded handsomely for scanning storefronts…So when you having one of THOSE nights, you’re clearly soused, and your night is going South, drink water, pop a multivitamin, and pass out (hopefully in your own bed) and dream about just how well Saus will cure your hangover in the morning.